Some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes
by RedButterfly33
Summary: Some people are just destined to meet. Even though James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were all sotred into different houses, fate somehow still finds a way to draw them together.
1. The Sorting

**.**

* * *

**The Sorting**

Black, Sirius!

_Another Black, eh? You seem to be popping up every few years lately. Hm... but you're not like your cousins. No, there's something different about you... you don't agree with your family's views about muggle-borns... ah, and you actually like muggle objects? Quite unusual for a Black._

_Yeah, can you stop the stalling and cut to the chase? We both know where you'll put me._

_Do we? And what makes it so obvious?_

_Well, the fact that every other Black in the history of Blacks was in Slytherin. Just sort me already so I can eat, I'm starving._

_Hm, but like I said, you're not like the rest of your family. You'__ll never fit in __in Slytherin. Perhaps in..._

_Why does fitting in matter? I haven't fit in anywhere my entire life. If you sort me anywhere else, my family will disown me completely! Like I'm not enough of a disappointment already. Just put me in Slytherin._

_Are you sure? I can find you a place where you'll actually be happy..._

_I'll only be happy once I turn seventeen and can finally leave my parent's house. Sort, Hat, I'm hungry._

_Well, if you're sure... then_ SLYTHERIN!

* * *

xXx

Lupin, Remus!

_Ah, what is this? My very first werewolf._

_You know!?_

_Calm down child, your secret is safe with me. Now, where to put you, where to put you... Slytherin is definitely out of the question. You've no lack of magical talent, but you're not one to trample over others to get what you want. But I see a lot of kindness in you... and a sharp mind... and loyalty, oh and such courage..._

_Courage? I think you got that wrong, Mister Hat. _

_No my boy, I am never wrong. You'll do nicely in Gryffindor..._

_Please, not in Gryffindor!_

_Not in Gryffindor? And why not? You could be great in Gryffindor..._

_It's the most showy house in the entire school! If you sort me there, those kids will eat me alive! I don't want to be noticed!_

_And why not? You could make great friends in-..._

_Please, Mister Hat! I don't want people to find out about me._

_Well, if you're so adamant about it... better be _RAVENCLAW!

* * *

xXx

Pettigrew, Peter!

_Hmmm..._

_Er... Hat? Is it possible for someone not to be sorted?_

_Of course not. You're a tougher nut to crack than most, but I'll find a place for you._

_I know I'm not an easy person to sort... I'm not good at anything..._

_You don't have to be good. You just need to have the seeds of potential. I see you don't like reading very much, so not in Ravenclaw... but there is a desire to be noticed in you. You want to be on the top. Perhaps in Slytherin... but you'll never shine among such ambitious people... your own abilities will be left in the dust, as everyone competes for the spotlight. No, you wouldn't like it there... I see some courage in you. Maybe Gryffindor will make for a better fit..._

_The Gryffindors are bullies! I don't want to be in that house, they'll dunk my head in the toilet! _

_Well, there is a smidgen of loyalty deep down. If you work on it and make it grow, I see no reason why you couldn't be in _HUFFLEPUFF_!_

* * *

xXx

Potter, James!

_Yes, finally! I've been waiting for this forever!_

_You seem enthusiastic, Mr. Potter._

_Like you wouldn't believe! I'm so excited; I've been waiting for this since March!_

_Well, it's nice to see someone tonight that actually wants to be sorted._

_What?_

_Nothing, child. Now there's a true Gryffindor, if I ever met one! You excel in all the traits the old founder used to value, chivalry, daring, bravery, loyalty... and a bit of mischief? Yes, you'll do great in _GRYFFINDOR!


	2. The Meeting

**.**

* * *

**The Meeting**

James was bored. That was nothing new, of course, especially since most of his dorm mates were busy. Rosier still hadn't done that stupid Runes essay, Fabian had prefect duties and Dirk just declared he was going to bed.

"Come on Cresswell, haven't you ever wondered what Hogwarts is like at night?"

"Give it up, James. We have Arithmancy early tomorrow, I'm turning in. And it's against the rules to be out of bed this late."

"Why do you have to be so boring all the time!?"

"And why do you insist on breaking every school rule there is?"

"Because I'm _not_ boring!"

"I give up!" Dirk groaned into his pillow. "Just leave me alone."

He drew the curtains around his bed and left James to sulk, perched on the end of his. What was wrong with those people?! Gryffindor was supposed to be the house of the brave, right? Daring, nerve, all that good stuff. Yet _none_ of them had any spirit for adventure! As many times as he had tried, he never managed to convince any of his dorm mates to go exploring with him. What use was an Invisibility Cloak, if you couldn't go around, causing mischief?! Not that he didn't pull plenty of pranks during the day. And he had help, too. James Potter, star Chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and resident heartthrob was as popular as you can get. Everyone liked him, and most would sell their best friend just to be the butt of one of his jokes. He received high-fives everywhere he went, every student knew his name, every girl wanted to be on his lap (except for the one he was pining after, but that was another can of worms). In short, James was always surrounded by people. And yet he still felt... alone. There was no one who truly understood him, no one around whom he felt he could just be... himself. There were times when he would want to be serious, times when _he_ would need help with something, but any time he would even hint something was bothering him, all he would get was a pat on the shoulder and _'Good one, James!'_. It was as if no one even believed there could be anything he was ever worried about, no one would even consider there was more in his head than jokes and good times. He was supposed to be perfect at everything. He was supposed to always come out on top. He was supposed to be James Potter.

_'__Well, if no one wants to come with me, then who needs them!'_ James decided, throwing the cloak around his shoulders. '_I don't need anyone else to have fun! I don't need people to understand me. I don't need real friends._' Except he did. But he couldn't show it. He had an image to maintain, after all.

* * *

Remus finally put the last dot on his essay and sighed. He'd been in the Library all day, catching up on homework. His bones still ached from the full moon, but he had to study relentlessly, if he wanted to pass the O.W.L.s at all this year. He learned all the way back in first year that borrowing notes too often attracted too much attention, so he had to learn to deal with this on his own.

The young prefect ran his hands down his face tiredly and glanced out the window, noticing it was already dark. How long had he been sitting there? Must've been at least four hours. Was it past curfew already? '_Well, it wouldn't matter much if it was_', he thought to himself with a sour smile. It wasn't like anyone would notice he was missing. Remus was ever polite and courteous to anyone he met, but he always tried to keep other people at an arm's length. He knew very well that werewolves couldn't have friends. If he ever let anyone get close, they would discover his secret, and it would all be over. Word would get out, he would be expelled and any flimsy glimmer of hope for his future would be tarnished. So he kept to himself, trying to blend into the background as best he could. So far it had worked, for five years no one had found his frequent absences that suspicious, and his housemates just assumed he was sickly. Luckily, his pale face and frequent visits to the Hospital Wing reinforced that idea. No one cared too much what Remus Lupin was up to, or what he did. No one noticed if he was in class or not, no one cared if he spent his entire day in the Library and forgot to eat sometimes. He was always alone. Not that he minded. He was fine being alone. He was fine being unnoticed. It was what he wanted, really. It was better than being the target of pranks or bullying, at least. No one ever bothered Remus Lupin with things like that. No one even cared he existed.

'_That's enough self-pitying for today,_' Remus told himself sternly and stood up, swinging his school bag on his shoulder. He sighed tiredly again, thinking of the long trek back to Ravenclaw Tower and that once there he'd have to answer a riddle. He enjoyed the challenge sometimes, but on nights like these, he just wished the bloody knocker would ask for a normal password.

* * *

Sirius stalked the dark hallways of Hogwarts and sulked. After that stupid comment of Rowle's, he just mumbled an excuse about fresh air and stormed out of the common room. He didn't know why exactly it bothered him so much. Actually, he did. In truth, it wasn't the statement, but the word 'friends' that had set him off. '_There you go Sirius, you can copy my Ancient Runes essay. After all, that's what friends are for, right?_' Friends. Ha! What a joke. Sirius Black didn't have friends. He had lackeys. Not that he'd asked for them of course, but it was just something that went along with being a Black. Sooner or later, some idiot or another would start circling him like a vulture, hoping to bask in the light of the Heir of The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. The only reason Sirius didn't swat them away like the annoying flies they were, was that the alternative was being alone _all the time_. No one from the other houses would even dare approach him, and as much as he hated those butt-kissing morons, he didn't much fancy curling into a corner of the Slytherin common room and brooding for seven years. So he'd sit with those bigoted fools and he'd tune out their comments about 'dirty blood' and allow himself only an eyeroll when they called someone a 'mudblood'. Of all the reasons in all the wizarding world to bully someone, why did they _always_ have to go with this one? It was such rubbish, thinking someone's worth was somehow linked to how many cousins in their family had interbred. As if it wasn't disturbing enough already that his own parents were cousins, or that they planned to marry him off to one of his. And he had seen with his own eyes that some muggle-borns were better with a wand than that show off Avery, and got much better marks than dung-for-brains Mulciber. And yet they kept insisting that-...

Suddenly his musings were interrupted by a quiet moan. Sirius stopped in his tracks and listened. After a moment more, it sounded again, and he could discern it came from a broom cupboard to his right. The Slytherin approached and tried to turn the knob, but it was locked. He took a few steps back and drew his wand.

"Alohomora."

* * *

Peter tripped and all of his things scattered to the floor. Damn it. He always tripped at the worst of times! Not bothering to collect his fallen quills and textbooks, he decided that saving his skin was more important at the moment and renewed his run down the Charms Corridor, still hearing the footsteps of his pursuers echo behind him. He made a sharp left turn and his eyes darted left and right frantically. He'd never outrun them, he needed to find a hiding place, and _fast!_ His gaze fell on the door of the broom cupboard and he hesitated for only a second, before sliding in. He leaned back against the door and listened intently, trying to reign in his heavy breathing and hear anything besides the rapid thumping of his heart.

"Where'd he go?"

"Must be around here somewhere. His stuff's all over the floor."

"He's hiding... that little rat!"

"Probably in some hole in the ground. Those filthy Hufflepuffs are always with their nose in the dirt."

"Hey, look. A broom cupboard."

"We found you now, Pettigrew! You better come out, or else!"

Peter didn't want to think what the 'or else' meant. He swallowed with difficulty and tried to move his legs, but to his horror his whole body had gone numb. The door swung open and he toppled to the ground, where one of his tormentors kneeled down and picked him up by the front of his shirt.

"Now, Pettigrew, give it to us and none of your bones need to break."

Peter swallowed hard. His throat was as dry as a desert and his tongue felt strangely limp in his mouth. The other boy snatched his bag from the floor and rummaged through it.

"It's not here," Macnair said.

"So it's on him," Travers sneered. "Where is it, rat?"

"I d-d-don't have it!" Peter stuttered, but even he knew it wasn't very convincing. Just then, solitary footsteps echoed down the empty corridor.

"Shit, it's Filtch!" Carrow whispered, and the four boys roughly stuffed Peter back inside the cupboard and locked it shut.

Peter just lay on the ground and wondered what would be less painful – yelling out to Filtch who would punish him and get beat up by those bullies later, or stay quiet and get beat up by them now. Both options seemed equally awful. And both were basically his everyday routine. Every single day he would get made fun of, every day someone would call him a demeaning name or steal his things, or throw stuff at him. He would get blamed for everything anyone could pin on him, and he didn't even pipe up to defend himself, knowing full well he would get hell for it if he said anything. He was always the butt of all the jokes, at the bottom of every class, on the hit-list of anyone who was bored and wanted to have a little laugh at someone's expense. His life was a living hell, and as far as he was concerned, things were probably not going to get any better after graduation. He had no prospects. He had no connections. He had no friends. What was the point of even trying to get out of bed each morning?

* * *

The door of the cupboard opened, and Peter Pettigrew tumbled outside, landing on his face. Sirius raised his eyebrow quizzically. What was that Hufflepuff doing in there?

"You alright?" Sirius asked, and the boy on the floor lifted his head to look at him, his watery blue eyes instantly growing to the size of plates.

He had run right into Sirius Black! _Sirius Black!_ Although he had never personally tortured Peter, the Hufflepuff had heard rumors of his cousin Bellatrix and what she did to people she didn't like. And _no one_ liked Peter. He was sure to be the same!

"Oh hey, it's only Black," a voice sounded around the corner and Peter groaned quietly, seeing his tormentors return.

"Hey there, Sirius," Amycus Carrow grinned. "You mind giving us back that lump of fat at your feet?"

"What do you want with _him_?" Sirius asked with a slight smirk, keeping up his natural air of haughtiness.

"Nothing really. He's as useless as they get, even for a Hufflepuff," Travers sniggered. "However, he does have something of ours. It's a silver badge of the Montrose Magpies; he has it on him somewhere. Let us shake it off, and you can have him back to play with."

"I-i-it's not yours!" Peter spoke up suddenly. "My mum made it for my birthday!"

Even Sirius couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. This kid was just _begging_ to be picked on.

"All this for a trinket?" Sirius sneered, eyeing the ripped bag and scattered books a little ways down the corridor. "Don't you lot have something better to do with your time than chase after shiny objects? Why don't you try picking up knitting?"

A muffled snigger sounded in the corridor and Traver's face immediately turned a dangerous shade of red.

"Are you laughing at us, Pettigrew!?"

"N-no!" Peter protested at once, trying to scramble to his feet. A jet of red light flew at him while he was still on his knees, but was blocked by a shield charm.

"Haven't your mummies ever taught you it's common courtesy not to attack someone on the floor?" Sirius asked almost lazily, his wand still raised.

"You're protecting a filthy mudblood now, Black?!" Travers sputtered, pointing a finger at the unimpressed Sirius.

"If his mother knows enough about the Magpies to make a badge, she's _obviously_ a witch," he explained, rolling his eyes. He wasn't sure some people even knew the meaning of the word anymore; they seemed to just throw it around at anyone they didn't like. "And the thing is his, so scram."

"You don't get to tell us what do to, just because you are a Black," Macnair rumbled menacingly, and four wands were drawn and pointed at Sirius.

"Four against one seems rather unfair, don't you think?" a voice sounded from somewhere down the hall.

A tall Ravenclaw walked around the corner and stood next to Sirius, wand raised. The Slytherin glanced sideways at him and faintly recognized him as that prefect that ate his meat almost raw. It was quite the amusing sight to watch him struggle with the knife and fork at lunch, much more entertaining than listening to the self-absorbed prats he was surrounded by each day, at any rate.

"And why is that any of your business, whoever you are?" Travers snapped.

"Remus Lupin," the Ravenclaw introduced himself with a small nod. "And I am a school prefect, that's why."

"Get out of here before we've sent you to the Hospital Wing, Lupin," Carrow threw in. "This doesn't concern you."

Remus didn't move. Keeping to the background was one thing, but he simply couldn't walk away and let injustice like this happen. But although his wand hand was steady, his whole body was buzzing with nerves. He'd never done anything like this before.

"Well, I suppose two wands are better than one," Sirius mumbled. "I take the right half, you take the left?"

Remus threw him a half glance and felt himself relax a little, as a small grin graced his lips. He'd never had somebody back him up before.

"It's not two," Peter called from the ground, finally standing up and pulling out his own wand. He was sick and tired of being everybody's punching bag. "It's three."

At that moment James couldn't take it anymore and his laughter echoed through the corridor, as he whipped the cloak off and appeared out of thin air on Remus' other side, wand held up against the Slytherins. He _could_ have let the other two handle it, but if even the little Hufflepuff was showing more guts than him? Not a chance.

"All this over a Montrose Magpies badge? They came in _fifth_ in the League last year! At least if this was for the Falmouth Falcons, I'd be more understanding," he said with a confident smirk, as Sirius snorted, Peter almost dropped his wand and Remus stared at him with wide, startled eyes.

"Ready, boys?" James added more quietly at them, and four hands gripped their wands tighter.

A glint of anger sparkled in Travers' eyes and he shot the first spell at Peter, which Remus deflected, giving room for James to hit him with a Jelly-Legs Curse. As he wobbled on his unsteady legs, Travers bumped sideways into Macnair, whose spell ricocheted off one of the suits of armor and was about to hit James in the back of the head, when Sirius intercepted it with a shield charm and whirled around to fire a Knockback Jinx at the two struggling bodies, sending them flying back three meters and hitting another armor with a loud crash. At the same time, Remus made a complicated motion with his wand and conjured a whole flock of bluebirds, which swarmed and began to peck at Carrow, just as Peter took advantage of the confusion and used the simple, yet effective Full-Body Bind on Yaxley, the last of them.

Carrow, the only one left conscious, shouted curses and threats, but ran down the corridor and out of sight, as the sounds of the attacking birds still echoed through the hall for a few more minutes.

"Whoa, remind me never to get on your bad side," James quipped at Remus, going over to check on Macnair and Travers. "I'll never look at bluebirds the same way again."

"It was only a few birds," Remus mumbled under his breath with a slight blush at the compliment as Sirius let out a laugh, and went back to retrieve his school bag from the corner where he'd left it.

"T-thank you," Peter stammered, bending down to collect his things, still scattered on the floor.

"No big. I've been itching to curse those bastards since first year anyway," Sirius said, kneeling down to help him.

Peter stood up, still mumbling thanks, but the bag had been ripped in the chase and his textbooks began to slip out again. Then suddenly they stopped and floated gently in the air, as Remus approached with his wand raised and repaired the bag, levitating the contents back in.

"Hey, thanks for jumping in," Sirius turned to him, ignoring the waterfall of gratitude spilling from Peter once again. "You didn't have to help."

"I didn't _have_ to. I wanted to," Remus agreed with a small smile, making the other boy smirk.

"Hey, mates! Look at this!" James Potter's excited voice came from where he was leaning over Travers and Macnair. The three boys jumped at the words and exchanged confused glances. No one had addressed any of them like that before.

They made their way over and peered behind James, seeing the Gryffindor point at something beside the suit of armor. It was a dark, narrow tunnel, which had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"They must've activated it somehow when they crashed into the suit!" James exclaimed and looked over the armor, fidgeting with each piece.

"Judging by the approximate length and trajectory, it seems to be going underground. It must be one of the tunnels leading outside," Remus said quietly. "Lumos."

The tip of his wand lit the stone tunnel and he felt his natural curiosity peak.

"And how would _you_ know about that?" Sirius asked jokingly. "Seeing as you're always _inside_. Have you even seen the sun anytime this month?"

"That's not true," Remus said defensively. "We had a Care of Magical Creatures lesson outside on Wednesday."

The other three boys chuckled.

"I think he meant, _Do you ever leave the Library when we don't have class?_," James threw in with a laugh.

"... How did you know I go to the Library?"

Sirius and James exchanged a half-amused, half-confused glance.

"Because we have _eyes_," James said. Remus stared at them, a bit stunned. They had noticed him?

"You're always reading," Peter chipped in too with a shrug. "Do you know all the Hogwarts exits from a book or something?"

"I..." Remus didn't know what to say. James and Sirius were two of the most popular boys in school, and he had never even spoken to Peter before. How did they notice what invisible, inconsequential him was doing? '_Words, Remus. Find words'_, he told himself. "I read about them in **_Hogwarts: A History_**. Though I've never stumbled across one myself."

To his surprise, both Sirius and James gave him sympathetic looks.

"You poor, poor soul. You mean to tell me you've had to leaf through _all_ 1000 pages? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy," Sirius shook his head.

"What's wrong with those pages?" Remus asked, a bit defensively. That was one of his favorite books. James and Sirius exchanged that look again.

"Nothing's wrong with it..." Sirius started.

"... It's just boring as crap," James finished and Peter giggled.

"It is _not_ boring!" Remus exclaimed indignantly and all three of them succumbed to laughter once again.

"Whatever you say, mate," James said and casually patted his back, before sticking his head inside the tunnel. Remus' whole body stiffened at the unfamiliar touch. "Let's explore it!"

"You want to go down a dark, suspicious tunnel with a Slytherin?" Sirius asked with a slight smirk.

"Why?" James returned it, "Are you afraid of the dark?"

Sirius suddenly erupted in a startlingly loud laugh, which resembled a dog bark. He hadn't laughed so heartily since he was a kid.

"I'm in."

The two walked down a couple of steps, before turning around.

"Well?" James beckoned to the other two. "Are you coming or what?"

Peter and Remus exchanged uncertain looks.

"Are we... invited?" Peter asked timidly.

"Of course you're invited," Sirius rolled his eyes. "There could be werewolves down here; we'll need something to distract them with."

James' laugh echoed in the tunnel.

"He's kidding. Now come on, before Filtch catches us."

Peter felt as if he'd just downed a whole vial of Pepper-Up potion. James Potter and Sirius Black actually spoke to him! And they didn't dunk his head in the toilet! He was so excited to be asked to come along for once, that he tripped again and almost fell down the stairs, but two strong pairs of arms caught him and picked him back up to his feet.

"Are you always this jittery?" James teased good-naturedly and Peter gave him a sheepish smile. "Hurry up," he added to Remus, who was still standing at the entrance, feet glued to the floor.

"I... I think I should go back to Ravenclaw Tower."

"What, and miss out on this!?" James gestured widely behind him. "Come on, how often do we stumble across a secret passage to the outside of school? Aren't you the least bit curious to know what's on the other end?" he asked insistently.

Remus' eyes soared over the boys' heads and down the darkness of the tunnel. He did want to know. He really, _really_ did. In fact, he was quite sure the thought would keep him awake the next few nights.

"Where's your sense of adventure?" James added and something in the mischievous glint in his eyes finally swayed Remus. He sighed with a smile and surrendered, descending down the steps to join the others.


	3. The Map

**.**

* * *

**The Map**

"So, what did you do to Travers?" Avery asked, as the fifth year Slytherins were walking from Arithmancy to Transfiguration. "He's been glaring daggers into you for the last few days."

"It's not what _I did_ to him," Sirius replied, unable to suppress the smile that stretched over his face at the memory of Thursday night. "It's what _he didn't_ do. Which was get out of my way when I told him to."

"And? What happened?" Avery persisted.

"He said I can't tell him what to do, just because I'm a Black. So I knocked him all the way across the hall," Sirius shrugged. The other boys snickered and patted his shoulder, going on about how great he was, and what an amazing duelist he was, and blah, blah, blah. He'd heard it all before. He _was_ amazing, of course, but he'd heard those same compliments and speeches so many times, he had practically memorized them. Just once, he'd like it if someone _wasn't_ licking the dirt off his shoes.

"Hey, Black!"

Sirius turned around and saw the messy black hair of James Potter bobbing between the crowd of students. He stopped and waited for the Gryffindor to catch up to him, as the other Slytherins exchanged surprised glances.

"Hey," James panted, stooping to lean on his knees and catch his breath. "You're a hard man to spot. Do you always have a battalion of servants following you around?"

"How else would people know to bow down as I pass?" Sirius quipped, ignoring the incensed looks his posse was giving the Gryffindor. James stood up straight and laughed.

"Maybe you should try hanging a sign on your chest that says: The Black Lord, coming through."

Avery was already reaching in his pocket for the wand to curse James for his insolence, but was startled by Sirius' loud laugh. The Slytherin boys stared at him wide-eyed. Sirius Black sneered and occasionally sniggered. He never laughed.

"The Heir of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black doesn't bother with such peasant labor. If you make it though, I'd consider it."

"Be careful what you wish for," James grinned. "We have Transfiguration together next; want an escort becoming your excellence?"

"What about your fan club?" Sirius inclined his head at the group of Gryffindors on the other side of the hallway, who were looking at James as if he were dancing naked in the middle of it. James' eyes flashed mischievously.

"I'll ditch mine, if you ditch yours."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow, not sure if this was a joke or not, but something in the other boy's eyes told him it wasn't. This would probably end badly. He felt himself smirk.

"Deal."

Sirius waved at the Slytherins halfheartedly, swung his bag over his shoulder, and walked with James down the hallway, followed by at least ten hostile glares. As soon as the two boys made a turn, James exploded in a loud fit of laughter, soon joined by Sirius.

"Did you see their faces?" James wheezed in between guffaws.

"Priceless," Sirius grinned. "You know we're both gonna get hell for this, right?"

"Worth it," James returned it. "Will you really wear that sign if I make it?"

"Only if _you_ wear one that says 'Potty Potter'."

"Point taken. So listen, I've been thinking about Thursday night..."

"Yeah, me too. Though 'having nightmares' would've been more accurate."

"I thought you said you weren't afraid of the dark," James teased good-naturedly.

"The dark, I have no problem with. It's what was _in_ the dark that got me," Sirius smirked.

"What's the big deal? We made it out alive, didn't we?"

"Barely."

"You know you loved it," James elbowed him playfully. "So anyway, as I was saying, I've been thinking about that a lot. I think we should try to find the other secret passages. I've heard there are several, and-"

"And what? You want to clean them of monsters?"

"Why not? I was thinking we could map it out, record our findings. It's about time you made a contribution to this school other than walking around with your nose in the air," James quipped, and Sirius stared at him.

"What did you just say?" he asked to make sure he heard it correctly.

"I said, you are a useless prat that walks around like he smells something foul right under his nose all the time," James clarified, the smirk never leaving his face. "Though seeing as you hang around Mulciber a lot, I can't really blame you."

Sirius blinked at him in surprise, trying to process the fact that someone actually dared to offend him. A smirk tugged at he corners of his mouth and he sized the Gryffindor up.

"I like you, Potter."

"Most people do," James replied cheekily. "Though usually not when I'm insulting them. So you're in?"

"Sure," Sirius shrugged. "And how will we find those passages?"

"That's why we're not doing it alone," James said. "We'll need Lupin to help us; we wouldn't have made it out without him last time. And having Pettigrew along isn't a bad idea either; they don't call him a rat for nothing. He can fit in places the rest of us would have to cut off limbs to get to."

"Right," Sirius smirked. "So you're the leader, Lupin is the brains, Pettigrew does the dirty work... why do you need me for?"

"You're the muscle," James grinned. "Quick thinking and a powerful Severing Charm are good things to have in a bind."

"You could've handled it without me," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I could have. But _you_ handled it. Who knows how many of us would've survived that if you weren't there."

Sirius couldn't help the genuine smile that bloomed on his face. For the first time in his life, he actually felt flattered.

"We're not really going to Transfiguration, are we?" he asked, realizing James was walking past the staircase they needed to take.

"After what we just pulled? Are you nuts? I'll get a Reductor Curse to the back of my head!" James laughed. "We're doing division of labor. I'll get Pettigrew, you find Lupin. Reconvene at the Library after dinner."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Sirius wasn't good at waiting. Partly because he never had to wait for anything, and partly because he tended to get bored quickly. He amused himself by making his quills do a tap dance across the empty hallway, when the door to the Ancient Runes classroom finally swung open. He put them back in his bag and scanned the exiting students for the pale face of the Ravenclaw prefect, but as the line went past the Slytherin, he was nowhere to be seen. Sirius peeked inside curiously, only to find the room empty.

"Hey, Lovegood!" he called after the closest Ravenclaw. "Where's Lupin?"

An eccentric-looking wide-eyed boy turned his head towards Sirius at the call of his name. Xenophilius Lovegood was a tall, lanky young man with shoulder length light blond hair that almost seemed white in the right light, who was often talking to anyone who would listen about conspiracy theories in the Ministry or about some non-existent creature he was convinced existed. Today he was wearing a ridiculous necklace of what seemed to be red radishes, and his wand was tucked behind his ear.

"Lupin?" the blond boy said distractedly, waving his arms around, as if trying to get rid of invisible flies. "Is that one of the manticores the Ministry is training to fight You-Know-Who?"

Sirius stared at him in stunned silence, having no idea how to respond to that. Finally he shook his head to get rid of the shock and added,

"Er, no. I meant _Remus_ Lupin. And what are you doing?"

"Trying to keep the Wrackspurts away."

"Wrackspurts?"

"They're invisible creatures which float into a person's ears, making their brain go fuzzy."

"What the hell are you-... Look, it doesn't matter. Have you seen Lupin or not?"

Xenophilius just stared at him curiously.

"Do I know him?"

Sirius' eyebrows rose in confusion.

"Yes? You've been sleeping in the same dorm for five years; I'd have thought you've been introduced by this point."

The other boy just continued to stare at him blankly.

"Tall bloke, kinda pale, always carries a book around?" Sirius tried to jog his memory. "He's your prefect?"

"Oh!" the Ravenclaw exclaimed, recognition gracing his eyes at last. "Yeah, you mean him. I just had Ancient Runes with him."

"He wasn't in there," Sirius inclined his head at the classroom.

"He wasn't?" Xenophilius craned his neck to look at the closed door behind the Slytherin. "Oh. Must be sick again."

"Sick?" Sirius repeated, realizing that he himself didn't much notice if Remus was in any of his classes or not. "Is he sick often, then?"

"Most of the time," the blond boy nodded sullenly. "Spends a lot of nights in the Hospital Wing. Gets kinda touchy if you ask where he's been. Bit of a loon, that one."

Sirius had to bite the inside of his cheek in order to keep from laughing. _Xenophilius Lovegood_ calling someone else a loon was almost too much to take.

* * *

"Give that back!" Peter shouted desperately, knowing how futile those words were before he even said them. He jumped up in an attempt to reach his floating scales, which hovered just outside his reach.

The Gryffindor boy that was his tormentor for today just laughed and flicked his wand, levitating them even higher.

"Look at how stupid he is, he didn't even try to summon it!" a second boy chortled.

As usual, Peter was being picked on by a three at once. He blushed from embarrassment, but just as he reached in his robes to pull out his wand, someone yelled '_Expelliarmus!_' and it flew out of his hand and on to the floor. Peter scrambled to the ground and reached for it, but one of the boys stepped on his hand. Peter squealed in pain, while the boys around him laughed and someone hit him in the back with a stinging jinx. He yelped and jumped, only to face two wands, about a millimeter away from his face.

"Well, isn't this lovely. What a great display if chivalry. You lot sure you're in the right house?" came a merry voice from down the corridor, and the Gryffindors turned around to see the grinning face of James Potter. James summoned the scales, which were still floating in mid-air, and tapped them with his wand to repair the small dent in their right side.

"Aw, come on, James," one of the bullies whined. "You know it's all in good fun. You've done worse."

"I don't remember ever hitting anyone in the back," James pointed out, walking over and extending his hand out to Peter, who stared at it, dumbstruck.

"You prefer sitting on the floor, mate?" James said lightheartedly, and that snapped him out of it. The Hufflepuff took his hand and stood up shakily, accepting his scales, as a warm wave of gratitude washed over him.

"Don't tell me you've taken a liking to this rat, James," one of the boys said, but still kept his tone of voice friendly. "I thought you already kept an owl as a pet."

"I am telling you. Touch him or his things again and you'll wake up as a toad," James replied in the same manner, but the hazel eyes behind his glasses flashed dangerously. The Gryffindors laughed, shrugged and went along their way.

"T-thank you," Peter stuttered, looking at his shoes.

"Well, I didn't do it just from the goodness of my heart," James replied. Peter's stomach fell. Of course popular, talented, amazing James Potter hadn't helped him just to be nice. No one was nice to him for no reason. Still, he'd rather give his pocket money to James than to those tossers.

"I want you to help me with something," James said conspiratorially, draping and arm over Peter's shoulders and drawing him close. "I was thinking about our little adventure on Thursday, and it occurred to me that no one has made a map of Hogwarts and its grounds. So, Black and I are gonna correct that. We'll drag Lupin in too, with some luck. But we need a fourth man. Someone of... small stature, who can fit where we can't. You up for the job?"

Peter turned to stare at him, completely taken aback. Was _James Potter_ inviting him to be a part of his escapades?

"I-I... you want _me_ to come along?"

"Why else would I be telling you about it? Are you in or not?"

"Yes!" Peter exclaimed excitedly. "Just tell me what you want me to do!"

"Atta boy," James grinned and ruffled Peter's hair.

* * *

Remus tapped the tip of his quill against the parchment. His side still hurt from that incident on Thursday night. This much exertion so soon after the full moon was not good for his body and he had re-opened one of the particularly nasty bites he had inflicted upon himself in the Shrieking Shank, where he went to transform. He had tried to take care of it by himself, but he should've known cursed wounds were a bit outside of his range at the moment. By the time he finally gave up and went to the Hospital Wing, he could barely see straight and had bled heavily all over the makeshift bandages he had conjured. Madam Pomfrey scolded him for a solid half-hour, then gave him about a dozen Blood Replenishing potions and kept him for a few days. He had to miss most of his classes today, and lamented the fact that he had missed so much material _again_. It couldn't be helped, he supposed, he should be grateful for being allowed to attend anything at-

"Theeeere he is! The man of the hour!" a jovial voice came from his left and Sirius Black slid into the chair next to him, bumping into his shoulder and forcing him to lean to the right.

"Just the one we wanted to see!" another voice sounded from the right and James Potter also slid into him, moving all three boys to the left. Remus' head whipped from one to the other in confusion.

"Can I help you with something?"

"So glad you asked," James grinned, and Sirius moved the homework to the side, while the Gryffindor spread out a large piece of parchment in front of them. Remus leaned in to take a closer look, but as far as he could tell, it was blank.

"What is this?"

"This is a map of Hogwarts."

"... It's blank."

"That's because _you_ will help us fill it in," Sirius said. Remus' eyes snapped to his smirking face.

"It's impossible to make a map of Hogwarts. It's unplottable."

"Ah, but you see, the thing about that, is that it's unplottable _in relation to other places_," James said. "We just want to know its inner workings."

"Like what you found out last Thursday?" Remus said dryly.

"That was fun. Admit it," James said, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

"That was dangerous, and we almost died."

"But we _didn't_ die. And it was all thanks to you. If you hadn't kept a cool head and recognized that thing when you did, we'd be ten feet under right now."

"I didn't do that much. We studied them in first year, any of you could've identified it," Remus said, looking down in embarrassment. He could practically feel the blood rush to his face.

"Fact remains, you know more about this old castle and its passageways than any of us, and we can use that egghead of yours. Besides, your responsible prefect self wouldn't let us hapless morons walk into danger without supervision, would it?" Sirius said cheekily.

Remus' eyes kept darting from one to the other. He had often wondered what secrets of the castle had still been left undiscovered, but what these boys were suggesting would mean breaking so many rules... However, he knew he really couldn't in good conscience let them roam around alone. If something happened to them, he would feel responsible.

"We can't do this without you, mate," James added. "We need you."

Remus' whole body went stiff. They needed him. Did they really? No one had ever said that to him before. No one had even paid attention to him before. And he couldn't deny the idea sounded interesting.

"I'm in."


	4. The Hidden Pool

**A\N: Just for the record, Remus has books witch are 20 years old by the time the Golden Trio even sets foot at Hogwarts, so just assume he owns the old edition of _Hogwarts: A History_.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**The Hidden Pool  
**

Remus felt exhausted. Again. It wasn't easy to learn a spell without ever having seen it applied, or not having anyone explain it to you. All he had were his books, but he refused to ask McGonagall for help. He was determined to prove that he _deserved_ this chance, that he deserved to be in Hogwarts. It was just so hard sometimes. He had no one to lean on, no one to give him a hand or show him the way. He kept telling himself that it was a good thing, as it prepared him for the world beyond the castle walls, where he would have to face a lot more than loneliness. No one was ever going to cut him a break, and he needed to learn how to deal with that while he was at least being spared the prejudice.

Climbing the long, spiral staircase to Ravenclaw Tower, lost in his thoughts, Remus didn't register the loud voices at the top before he was almost behind them.

"A pizza box!"

"A cigarette!"

"What? How the hell are cigarettes square? And don't tell me you've actually tried those muggle sticks of death!"

"They're called 'squares' in some parts of the world, and I'll have you know that I do enjoy the occasional smoke, but I've yet too keel over dead."

"Shut up you prat, we're in the middle of something here, stop distracting me! We'll discuss your bad habits later. It's a sandwich!"

"What? Potter, that's the stupidest thing you've ever said!"

"Well, I'm hungry! It's the first thing that came to mind. You do better, then!"

"This is pointless! The bloody chicken is messing with us!"

"What are you two doing?" Remus asked, making James and Sirius turn around and face him.

"You're kidding. We've been trying to get in for the last _half hour_, and he wasn't even in there!? I'm going to kill Lovegood when I see him again!" Sirius exclaimed in frustration.

"You were looking for me?" Remus asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"I told you we should've checked the Library first," James said to Sirius. "He practically lives in there!"

"Aright, alright, O wise Potter. Next time we'll do it your way," Sirius quipped and James laughed.

"Why were you down there so late anyway? You can't possibly have that much homework, Slughorn barely gave us any, and McGonagall's been uncharacteristically lenient lately," James said to Remus. The Ravenclaw thought frantically about his answer, trying not to show his distress.

"I'm a bit behind," he said, keeping his voice even. "I missed the last class and McGonagall will test us on the _Evanesco_ spell tomorrow."

"So?" Sirius cocked an eyebrow quizzically. "I've seen you conjure a whole flock of birds, how difficult can a vanishing spell be for you?"

"I... I just missed the lesson and the theory in the textbook at a little hard to read."

"Just ask for someone's notes," James said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And it probably was, for anyone but Remus.

"I'm absent often, so I don't really want to bother my classmates every time I can't be in class," he replied honestly. James and Sirius exchanged a look.

"Well, that's simple enough to fix. I'll get you notes, just tell me which classes you need," Sirius said.

"_You_ take notes? In _every_ class?" James snorted.

"Of course not." Sirius grinned. "But my lackeys do. If you want anything, don't hesitate to ask, mate. I'll get it for you," he added towards Remus, clapping him on the shoulder. "Now, we came to collect you, Peter is going to show us the kitchens."

"I... can I at least leave my bag?" Remus asked. The two other boys exchanged a look again.

"Sure, but you'll never get in. I think your guardian is malfunctioning," James said, stepping aside so Remus could have a clear view of the bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle that guarded the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room.

"What is circular, yet square?" the knocker asked. Remus thought about it for a second.

"A square knot."

The door opened and Remus walked inside, smirking at Sirius and James' stupefied faces.

* * *

-P-

Peter was bouncing on the balls of his feet, eagerly awaiting the others. He had felt so honored to be included in their little adventuring party, he really wanted to prove he could be more than dead weight. Other students often teased him for being absolutely and utterly useless, and it made him want to disprove that to the three other boys before they saw him like that too. Otherwise, they would be sure to kick him out of the group.

So to that end, he had spent the entire week asking anyone that would listen if they knew anything about any Hogwarts secrets. Most wouldn't give him the time of day, which was not surprising, but one of the upperclassmen took pity on him and told him something most Hufflepuffs had figured out by their second year – how to get into the kitchens. Luckily, James and Sirius seemed impressed that he had gotten to that information, and seeing that, as far as Peter knew, the other houses didn't know about the entrance, they probably thought that no student could get inside.

"Sorry we're late," a voice said behind Peter, making him jump. James emerged from some short cut hidden behind a paining, followed by Remus and Sirius. "We had a bit of trouble finding Mister Perfect Prefect over here."

"I wasn't in the Tower anyway. It would have made more logical sense if you had tried the Library first, as you both have free access to it while, as everyone knows, the common rooms have passwords," Remus said and James smirked triumphantly at Sirius, who only rolled his eyes. "So where are you taking us?" the Ravenclaw added to Peter.

"Oh, right! Erm, this way!" the short boy exclaimed nervously and led the others down the corridor.

"Maybe we should put a tracking charm on you," Sirius quipped as they were following Peter. "That way we'll know for sure if we should waste time trying to get past that knocker or just brave Madam Pince. I'm not sure which is less annoying. One time in fourth year she literally levitated me out for the _ungodly_ crime of carrying chocolate frogs in my bag." James and Peter laughed, and even Remus' mouth twitched in amusement.

"Maybe we can add this as a feature to the Map," James said enthusiastically, then turned to Remus. "Can we?"

The Ravenclaw's brow furrowed as he thought. "It's... possible. But it would require some incredibly complicated N.E.W.T. level magic. I don't think it would be in the skill range of four fifth years."

James scoffed at this. "Please. How complicated could it be? I've done plenty of N.E.W.T. level spells before. It'll be a piece of cake."

"Nothing can bring down that big head of yours, can it?" Sirius sniggered.

"Hey, it's not arrogance if you can back it up," James said with a grin and Remus shook his head.

"Here it is," Peter announced proudly, stopping in front of a large paining of a fruit bowl. He reached out and tickled the large green pear, who began to giggle uncontrollably, then turned into a doorknob. The Hufflepuff reveled in the astonished looks on the other boys' faces, as he turned it and revealed the secret door behind the painting.

The four of them entered through the hole and had about two seconds to marvel at the high ceiling and many pots and pans lined up against the walls, when about a dozen house-elves surrounded them.

"Welcome, Sirs!" one of them squeaked. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I'm not much for tea, but we'll take four Butterbeers, if you have them," Sirius said haughtily, as if he were waited on hand and foot like this every day. Actually, be probably was, Peter thought, as the boys walked over to the replicas of the long tables in the Great Hall and sat town at the rightmost one.

"What's it like living in a big mansion with a house-elf?" he asked, while Sirius took a bottle of the Butterbeers one of the small creatures brought them on a silver platter.

"Overrated," the Slytherin replied. "Well, I could be biased. My family's elf is a real pain in the bum. I'd drown him in the river if I could."

James sniggered, but Remus frowned and Peter looked downright horrified.

"You'd kill your own house-elf!?" the short boy exclaimed. Sirius rolled his eyes and took a sip from his drink.

"Of course not. I'll never get away with it; my mother has a way of knowing when I'm in need of a lecture. I'd get my head yelled off about how I'm breaking Black family traditions and killing elves too soon."

"I didn't even know there _were_ house-elves in Hogwarts. I thought everything was cleaned with magic," James said, his eyes sweeping the room and lingering on the giant fireplace along the far wall.

"It says so in **_Hogwarts: A History_**. Maybe if you'd read a few of those 1 000 _boring_ pages, you wouldn't be caught by surprise," Remus said, smirking slightly. Peter shot the other two boys a look, not sure if it was okay to laugh or not, but they just exchanged glances and erupted in laughter, which he joined in hesitantly.

"What would we do that for if we have _you_ to tell us?" Sirius quipped back.

"Besides, Egg-head, even if you knew this place existed, you still couldn't get us in, could you?" James added cheekily and winked at Peter, who blushed.

"Chocolate tart, Sir?" a house-elf with a large, flat nose asked, holding up a tray of sweets.

"Don't mind if I do!" James said, swiping three. "I knew I was right to have you tag along," he added to Peter, ruffling his hair playfully.

* * *

-S-

"They're staring at us," Peter whispered nervously. The four boys were eating lunch in the Great Hall on Friday, but as discussion of their after-hours excursions required proximity, they were all gathered on the Ravenclaw table. The safest one to be on, really. The most neutral.

"Just ignore them," James said nonchalantly, stuffing his face with more kidney pie.

'_That's easy for him to say'_ Sirius thought, shooting a look over his shoulder at the Slytherin table. His housemates were either giving him glares that could kill, or completely bewildered looks. He couldn't care less what they thought of him, as far as he was concerned, they were just a house full of pricks. But he didn't like the way Travers was glaring at James, or how Avery cracked his knuckles, eyes fixed on Peter. In all honesty, he and James could take care of themselves, but Peter would need a bit of looking after, and Lupin's constant pale face and tired sighs didn't exactly inspire confidence. What if they caught him off guard one day, going to the Hospital Wing or something? Knowing that bunch, they wouldn't hesitate to sink this low.

"Why the long face?" a quiet voice asked next to him, and Sirius looked t o his right, noticing Remus had caught him staring.

"I don't know what you mean," the Slytherin said quickly, turning forward again and following James' example by filling his mouth with food.

"Will you lot concentrate? We need to plan here," the Gryffindor complained, returning his attention to the parchment spread out between them. "We'll meet here," he continued, sticking his finger on the spot where the little bit they had managed to fill of the map ended. "You all got everything?"

The three boys nodded. Remus had been tasked with carrying all manner of potions they might need, mainly healing ones, as he was the one with the easiest access to the Hospital Wing. James had somehow procured a copy of the castle blueprints, though the mapmakers either didn't know about the secret passages, or hadn't bothered to include them. Sirius had been responsible for learning different spells that would be useful for clearing blocked passages, crossing wide chasms, or encountering another monster down in those ancient tunnels (which he mastered all in one night, of course). And Peter... well, Peter just had to show up and be able to cast a shrinking or growing charm. He had some difficulty with it, but got the hang of it eventually, with some help from the other three.

"Remember, there's an alcove behind this tapestry," James continued, tapping his finger over a specific point on the Map. "If you see Filch or his bloody cat, hide and wait it out. We only leave once we're all there, or we don't leave at all, so make sure you're there on time. Got it?" The other three nodded, though Sirius rolled his eyes at the seriousness the bespectacled boy was talking with. Why not just go exploring without whoever didn't show? It would kind of suck to go all the way to the fourth floor only to waste time waiting and then go back to the Slytherin common room and have a completely boring night. But it was James' plan, so he went along with it.

The Gryffindor stuffed the rest of the pie in his mouth and stood up. "Right. I'll be late for Muggle Studies, so see you lot later." He adjusted the strap of his bag and waved at the other boys, flashing them a grin. Peter smiled nervously, Sirius grinned in return, and Remus gave him a small wave.

"We should go too," the Ravenclaw said, standing up. "We have to get to Herbology."

"Right!" Peter exclaimed, shooting to his feet.

"Will you be alright?" Remus asked Sirius quietly while the Hufflepuff stuffed crumpets into the pockets of his robes.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sirius replied, also keeping his voice low.

"You just seemed... preoccupied. Is everything alright in Slytherin?"

"It's not me I'm worried about," Sirius muttered. "Now go, before Peter carries off the entire table."

The corners of Remus' mouth curled upwards in a small smile, and he didn't press any further. Sirius watched the two of them walk out of the Great Hall and head to the greenhouses, before sighing heavily and getting up himself. He had a free period, but he didn't feel like going back to the dungeons. When he made it out to the Entrance Hall, his eyes lingered on the Grand Staircase. He could always get some more practice in. Not that he needed it; he knew he had mastered the charms he might need for tonight. Still, there were three people counting on him. It wouldn't hurt to find an empty classroom and make sure his wandwork was as polished as possible.

He was only halfway through the staircase, when someone called his name. Sirius turned around and saw his brother, climbing the steps after him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Regulus hissed as soon as he was within earshot. Sirius' eyebrow arched upwards.

"Walking up the stairs?"

"Cut the cheek! Do you know what everyone is saying about you?"

"How would I if they're too cowardly to say it to my face?"

"They're saying you're disgracing the Black name!" the younger boy spat. "Why are you hanging around with those filthy_ half-bloods_?"

Sirius' brows immediately knitted into a frown and he felt a sudden irritation towards his brother.

"James Potter was a pureblood, last time I checked. Lupin may be a half-blood, but he's at the top of most classes and everyone in our year knows it. As for Pettigrew, no one knows who his father was, so he might be a pureblood too."

"Or his father could've been a muggle! And Potter is a Gryffindor! The whole school knows he's a blood traitor; he makes no secret of his interest in that mudblood, Evans! Not to mention Lupin's ability does _not_ make up for his dirty blood!"

Something flared up inside Sirius' chest and he had the inexplicable urge to curse Regulus.

"This might shock you, Reg, but I happen to _not_ pick my friends based on blood status!"

Judging by his expression, his brother really _was_ shocked.

"So you admit it, then? You want them for _friends_? In spite how far below you they are?"

"_I_ will judge who is below me and why!" Sirius snapped. "If I want to hang out with them, I will. I am the Heir of the House of Black, and you can't give me orders."

"I will write to Mother!"

Sirius froze. Walburga Black was not a woman whose tempter one wanted to evoke. He had spent the majority of his childhood trying to avoid it at any cost. He thought about how she would react to this news and felt his stomach drop.

But then he remembered how James made him laugh. How genuinely concerned Remus was about him. How Peter's whole face lit up when he waved at him as they passed each other in a corridor.

In five years, none of the Slytherin boys had ever made him fell so... so safe to be _himself_. He'd never felt impatient to meet up with people before. He'd never felt protective of anyone. He'd never felt like he had friends.

"Do whatever you want," he said to Regulus and turned around to continue on his way.

"Don't think I won't!" his brother yelled after him. "You're tarnishing the name of our House!"

Sirius kept climbing the steps, without a single look back. Some things were worth a few Howlers.

* * *

-J-

That night, the four boys advanced slowly down the tunnel, one after the other. James walked first, his hand holding the lit wand up high. After him was Remus, constantly keeping a quill to the parchment, drawing out the Map as they went. Next was Peter, trying to stop shaking in this dark, scary tunnel, which was waaaaay too narrow and creepy for his liking. Sirius brought up the rear; wand lit and at the ready, should something unfriendly try to eat them from behind.

"Stairs," James announced to his companions, carefully beginning his descent. The hazel eyes behind the glasses glinted with excitement and the Gryffindor couldn't wipe the smile from his face. He wanted to do this for so long! It felt unbelievably good to finally be able to explore the old castle with someone! He had done it before, of course, but it was different, being alone. He had no one to share the enthusiasm with, no one to tell about the new passage he discovered or the secret lever inside the helmet of that one suit of armor. What was the point of knowing all these nooks and crannies, if you had no one to show them to?

And it was nice to have back up, he had to admit. One time in third year he got stuck when his foot fell through one of the steps of the passageway behind the paining of the Knight on the Black Horse, and had to wait for two and a half hours for a random student to pass by and help him out (thank Merlin most people knew about that particular short cut). And after the adventure on that Thursday night when they all came together, James had complete confidence in all three of the boys following him. They had all saved his life that night.

Suddenly, the tunnel came to an end.

"Why are we stopping?" Sirius asked.

"Because there's nowhere to go," James said. Remus stepped forward and took a hold of his wrist, illuminating the wall blocking their path better.

"Not necessarily," the Ravenclaw muttered and put the Map away in the school bad hanging from his shoulder. "The tunnel can't just _stop_."

"Maybe whoever made it got tired and decided to take a break, then forgot he still had to finish it?" Peter suggested, making the others snigger.

"There has to be some sort of clue..." Remus swept the barrier with his eyes, then began tracing his fingers over the smooth stone surface.

"Look around," James said, following his example and bringing his face close to the left side of the tunnel. "Search for anything that shouldn't be there, some alcove or a lever, or—"

"Or a hole?" Peter was crouching down, pointing to a small triangle-shaped hole where the wall and floor met. When he reached to put his hand inside, Sirius' eyes widened and he tried to grab the Hufflepuff.

"Wait, don't touch that, there could be—"

_Click._

The ground beneath their feet disappeared and the four boys plummeted down into the black unknown.

James could hear the others screaming around him, which at least let him know they were all together, until there was a loud _SPLASH!_ and only seconds later, he felt his body hit water. His entire right half hurt like he had just collided with concrete, but the water was pressing him from all sides and he forced his aching limbs to move.

His head popped above the surface, and he could barely register Sirius dragging Peter's soaked body to some sort of shore, where Remus was already slumped, coughing.

"Everyone... okay?" James asked in-between coughs, swimming over and helping Sirius with Peter.

"Yeah," Remus replied hoarsely. Peter rolled over and began coughing up water as well. Sirius flicked the wet hair out of his eyes and turned to James.

"I dropped my wand in there. You mind?"

James pointed his, which he still clutched in his fist, to the strange pond and two wands flew into his hand. He gave them to Sirius and Peter, then went to check on Remus, who was rifling through the bag, making sure everything was still in there.

"You doing okay? Didn't the bag weigh you down?"

"Er... no, it's not that heavy. I... I took swimming lessons as a child," the pale boy replied. "Where are we?"

James raised his wand and illuminated the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. "Some kind of cave, looks like."

"What sort of cave has _a diving board_?" Sirius called, drawing attention to the big, suspiciously placed narrow rock protruding from the wall about 5 meters or so, right over the water.

"Don't be daft. It's just a rock."

"You expect me to believe this is a natural formation?" Sirius said skeptically, raising an eyebrow. James inspected the platform more closely, and had to agree there was something unnatural about it. The whole side of the cave almost was flat, with only slight irregularities, and the 'diving board' was at least two meters long.

"Definitely made by magic," Remus threw in, coming closer to stand next to James.

"How do you reckon?"

"Because nature doesn't make steps." The Ravenclaw pointed a bit to the right and James shone his light in that direction, noticing the carved stone stairs that led right up to the rock.

"How did you even _see_ that?" Sirius asked, clearly impressed.

"It's not _that_ dark," Remus replied, visibly uncomfortable. James was about to press the matter, when Peter attracted their attention.

"Hey guys! Check this out!"

The three boys turned around and walked over to where he was, looking at something right at the edge of the water.

"What _is_ this?" James asked, when four wands lit up the small indentation Peter was pointing to.

"It's a rune," Remus answered immediately. "It means 'light'." He tapped it with his wand and the indent glowed in yellow, before the entire cave was bathed in light. The boys stood up and noticed the pointy ends of the stalactites above them were now shining brightly, as if they were a part of some giant chandelier covering the entire ceiling. The hole from which they fell through was also clearly visible, and was suspiciously placed right above the water, cut in a perfectly circular shape.

"So," James said, a large grin on his face. "Hogwarts has a hidden swimming pool."

"Last one in is a fungus-covered peanut!" Sirius yelled, already taking off his robes, and sprinted to the stone steps. James laughed and followed his example, getting a running start and jumping in straight from the shore. After Sirius landed from the diving board and splashed water everywhere, he barely waited for the Slytherin's head to pop up, before grabbing his shoulders with a battle cry and submerging him again.

"You're dead, Potter!" Sirius cried once he was above the surface again and made to jump James, when a shout from above drew their attention and they had to get out of the way to avoid a cannon-balling Peter, who made an even bigger splash than Sirius in quite the impressive arch. The three boys laughed, and it was then James noticed Remus wasn't with them.

"Come on, what're you waiting for? The water's not cold."

"I... I don't like swimming," Remus said from the shore, looking very uncomfortable. James raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"You just said you took swimming lessons."

"As a child," the Ravenclaw said quickly. "And then I stopped. I... don't like getting wet."

"Maybe he's just embarrassed by his skinny chicken legs," Sirius quipped and Peter laughed so hard he almost sank.

"I am not!" Remus objected indignantly, his face growing a pale shade of pink.

"Right. I'm sure you have the build of a Quidditch player from all that reading," Sirius said again, watching in amusement Peter's struggle to remain above water while barely drawing breath from laughing.

James opened his mouth to say something again, when he got a big splash to the face from Sirius.

"So the nerd doesn't like water. Big whoop. Let him sulk on the shore if he wants, it's his loss."

The left corner of Remus' mouth curled upwards into a slight grin. "I'm a nerd, am I? _Aguamenti!_"

A jet of water shot out from his wand and hit Sirius right in the face. James and Peter laughed, as the Slytherin gasped in mock-offense and climbed back to the shore, chasing Remus in circles while he was snickering and shooting more water at him over his shoulder.


	5. The Detention Escape Route

**.**

* * *

**The Detention Escape Route**

"It feels odd to be on the Ravenclaw table without the Ravenclaw," Peter whispered to Sirius one morning.

"Would you like it if we sat at the Slytherin table, then?" Sirius asked, a wicked smirk stretched across his face. "I'm sure my housemates will welcome you with arms wide open. What do you say? I think you and Avery will really hit it off." The Hufflepuff paled visibly, but Sirius just laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Careful, mate, or Pete might just wet himself," came a jovial voice behind them, and James slid down on the bench next to the Slytherin. "Where's Remus?"

"Hasn't been to breakfast," Peter supplied immediately. "We asked some of his dorm mates, they can't remember when they've seen him last."

"Eh, he'll show up at the Library after class," Sirius said with a shrug. "He always does."

"Yes, but where does he go?" James insisted.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "The Hospital Wing. Everyone knows that."

"He can't be sick _that_ often," Peter mumbled.

"Maybe he has a secret girlfriend he sneaks off with," James quipped, making Sirius choke on his toast and laugh.

"If that's true, I'll give you a hundred galleons!"

"Maybe we should just ask him?" Peter said hesitantly.

James and Sirius exchanged a look. "Yeah, and I bet he'll tell us all about it," the latter said sarcastically. "No one's probably tried that before."

The shuffle of fifth years around them and from the Slytherin table gave Sirius a hint that he was about to be late for class. "I'd better get going," he said with a sigh. "It'll take me almost an hour to make it to the top of the bloody North Tower."

"I still can't believe you're taking _Divination_," James said playfully, nudging his shoulder. "You can't really believe in that rubbish."

Sirius shrugged. "Meh. It's an easy O. See you lot later." He stood up and swung the schoolbag over his shoulder, but had barely made four steps towards the Entrance Hall when James called after him.

"The portrait of the Red Lady. It'll get you right to the Divination Corridor in half the time."

Sirius threw him a grateful grin, waved goodbye quickly and headed to the second floor to find said painting. This whole "mapping the castle" idea had its perks. When the young Slytherin climbed up the stairs and made a turn into the hallway where said portrait was, however, he caught movement with the corner of his eye, which gave him pause. The hallway was suspiciously deserted.

Sirius stopped. Sighed. "Is this really necessary? If you're going to ambush me, get it over with already."

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then a few boys stepped out of the shadows. Sirius' eyes slowly went over each face. His brother was front and center, of course, and following him were two of his usual friends\lackeys.

"Let me guess," he said, sounding almost bored. "This is about James, Remus and Peter?"

"This isn't a game, Sirius," Regulus sneered. "You're putting yourself in serious trouble if you continue to consort with those—"

"I don't remember asking for your opinion on how I should live my life," the elder Black said coldly. "I already told you—"

"How stupid can you be?!" Regulus snapped suddenly. "Can't you see you're bringing down the entire family name with this little stunt? You are the Heir, the future Head of the family, you cannot associate with—"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest, Reg. I'll save you some breath – no matter what you say, or what _anyone else_ says, it won't change my mind." He made to walk past his brother.

"Their blood is dirty!" Regulus spat. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks. "That doesn't disgust you? Their parents might as well have mated with hippogriffs!"

Quicker than the eye could see, Sirius' wand was in his hand, pressing against his brother's throat. "One more word, Reg, and I'll hex you so bad you won't be able to tell your arse form your face." His eyes darted up and down his brother mockingly. "That is, if you already can."

Regulus' cold, grey eyes slowly turned to meet Sirius'. "Really? You'd hex me, your own blood, for those filthy half-bloods and blood traitors?"

Sirius smirked slightly. "I'd hex them if they badmouthed you too, but you don't see them walking around with reversed kneecaps, do you?"

Regulus' face twisted into a disgusted grimace. "Tch. Don't compare me to them."

"You're right, I shouldn't. It just makes you look bad."

"How can you be this selfish? Don't you care that you're sullying centuries worth of family history?"

"With a history like that, a bit of sullying might not be such a bad thing."

Regulus' eyes widened slightly. "Excuse me?"

"Come on, Reg. Our family is known for looking down on others, being rich and practicing Dark Magic. Is that really a legacy you want to uphold?"

Regulus' jaw clenched. "We are Blacks. It's our duty to—"

"Don't blindly repeat what Mother says!" Sirius snapped. "Do you want to be a Dark Wizard, yes or no?"

"... I want to make my ancestors and my parents proud. I want to be worthy of my name, I want to associate with the right kind of wizards."

Sirius' eyebrows locked. "That doesn't answer the question."

Something glinted in his brother's eyes, and Regulus turned to face him. "I want those vile half-bloods and mubloods out of this school! I want wizards to get the recognition we deserve, and not hide like animals from inferior beings like muggles! I want you to stop bringing me down by association, and I want you to snap out of whatever's gotten into you! If that makes me a Dark Wizard, then yes, that is exactly what I want to be!"

"You really are an idiot!" Sirius' hand shook slightly. "You're really going to keep parroting off what our parents say?! Even when you _know_ half of it is rubbish? Even if you've seen that the purebloods aren't always the best at magic with your own eyes?"

"The mudbloods steal their magic!"

"You can't seriously believe this! That's impossible, but even if it was, how would a wandless ten-year-old do a thing like that!?"

"If I knew, I'd be out there stopping them!"

"You've lost your mind!"

"Me!? You're the one who turned his back on our family!"

"Because I made friends!?"

"Because you made friends with dirty, low-life scum!"

There was sudden flash of light, and Regulus was flung back against the wall with the force of a charging bull, an audible grunt escaping him as his body hit the wall. A storm of curses from the other Slytherins flew at Sirius, but he didn't hesitate for even a second, and his wand whipped left and right as his magic illuminated the hallway.

"Mr. Black! What exactly do you think you're doing!?"

Sirius turned just in time to see the violet robes of Professor Vector flap behind her before her own wand appeared in her hand and a repulsing charm sent him staggering a few steps back.

"I am _appalled_," the teacher started indignantly, checking on the three boys that were scattered on the floor with various injuries. "Attacking three younger students with little to no provocation! Next time you have an issue with your brother, Mr. Black, use your _words_! This display of magic was absolutely, utterly unnecessary!" She helped Regulus stand up, and he groaned painfully, the effects of the Knee-Reversal Hex causing him to waddle like a duck and wince at every step. His stormy gray eyes met Sirius', full of anger and hurt. "Twenty points from Slytherin and three weeks detention," Vector said firmly. "Just because your parents are prominent in wizarding society, do not think you can do as you please without repercussions!"

Sirius just stood there, glaring daggers into his brother.

"Well? Why are you still here? Off you go, before I've made it a month!" professor Vector scolded, checking on one of the other Slytherin boys, whose face was covered in large, painful-looking boils.

Sirius' insides were burning, but he just gripped the wand tighter, turned on his heel and headed to Divination.

* * *

-R-

The shadows under Remus' eyes were more pronounced than ever. His tired eyes were sliding over the page, but he couldn't comprehend any of it. He should have known it would come to this. It was the obvious conclusion, really. For someone like him, friends were a luxury – one he couldn't afford.

Because having friends meant having people who notice when you disappear.

And to Remus' great surprise and horror, that was exactly what was happening. For years he had successfully managed to blend into the background, most people didn't even know his name. But now, he would get questioning looks from his housemates way more often than he'd have liked, people would come up to him and say James, Sirius or Peter had been asking after him, then ask where he'd been themselves. He hadn't told as many lies since he met those three than he had in his entire life! It was wearing on his nerves. Not only that, but hanging out with them was eating his already sparse study time, slowing down his recovery from the full moon, and worst of all, he was risking the exposure of his secret. It had to stop.

Suddenly, a high-pitched squeak pierced the silence.

"There he is!"

Remus looked up from his Arithmancy textbook to see Peter making his way towards him between the tall bookshelves of the Library, waving to someone he couldn't see. The young werewolf determinately looked down to the book. He had to tell them to stop talking to him eventually. Now was as good time as any.

"Hey, Remus." Peter greeted and sat down next to him, beaming happily.

Remus' stomach sank. "Hello, Peter," he replied coolly, keeping his gaze on the page. Still, he could see with his peripheral vision how the Hufflepuff's face fell, just before James rushed towards them.

"There you are!" The Gryffindor grinned. "I knew you'd be in here. Get the Map and meet us behind the One-Eyed Witch statue on the third floor. We're going on a rescue mission."

Remus looked up. "A rescue mission?"

"Yep. Our favorite Slytherin landed himself in detention, so we're going to bust him out. Boy, is that something I never thought I'd say."

"Yeah, I don't think I can remember Sirius ever being in detention before..." Peter mused.

"Not that. That I'd have a favorite Slytherin," James said, and they both had to suppress a snigger.

Remus, however, was not impressed. "I can't help you sneak a student out of detention. I'm a school prefect. If Sirius "landed himself" in trouble, he had it coming."

James and Peter stopped their laughing and stared at him in surprise, but he simply returned to his textbook. Breaking the rules meant betraying the trust Albus Dumbledore had placed in him. And _that_ he would never do.

Peter's eyes darted to James, but the latter just waved dismissively. "Who cares about that? It's not like he killed anyone; Vector was overdoing it. You're the Ravenclaw – we need you to help us come up with the best escape route. I'll figure out a way in, and Peter thinks he can find a safe place to take him, but none of that matters if we can't get away quickly enough—"

"No," Remus said firmly. "I'm not going to break the rules. I won't tell anyone what you're planning, but I can't help you."

For a moment, none of them spoke.

"Remus..." Peter began, but the Ravenclaw cut him off.

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"You don't know what he got in trouble for, do you," Peter said softly.

Remus had to make a conscious effort not to look up again. "It doesn't matter."

"But—"

"No," James cut through, his hazel eyes boring into the Ravenclaw. "It doesn't. What matters is that he's your friend, and that _he_'d do this for you without a second thought." Remus remained silent. "Behind the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. One hour. Bring the Map."

With that, James stood up and walked away. Peter hesitated for a second, his eyes darting between his back and Remus' frowning face, but in the end he ran out after the Gryffindor.

* * *

-P-

"What are we gonna do if he doesn't show up?" Peter asked nervously as he and James were both huddled behind the statue. "Can we pull this off without the Map? Do you remember all the secrets we've uncovered so far? What if they catch us?"

"Relax, Pete," James said calmly. "He'll come."

"But he said—"

"I know what he said. He'll be here."

Peter twitched uncomfortably. He didn't know why James seemed so sure about it; Remus sounded pretty adamant back in the Library. And who could blame him? Risking your academic career on some harebrained scheme like this? Remus was a prefect, a pet to most teachers; he had something to lose if they got caught. The others didn't. James and Sirius were already rich anyway and didn't seem to care about academics, and as for Peter himself, being in detention might actually get some teachers to remember he even existed. Out of the four of them, Remus was the only one whose reputation would suffer. If it were him, Peter would probably say no too.

"James... it's been fifteen minutes. Maybe we should—" The soft sound of careful footsteps made the Hufflepuff stop mid-sentence.

James beamed down at him. "See? What did I tell you?"

"How are you so sure it's him?" Peter whispered. "It's probably a teacher."

The steps hesitated for a moment, but drew closer. "If I were a teacher, I'd dock points from both of you for lurking," Remus' voice sounded from the other end of the statue. "You're not exactly being inconspicuous."

"Shut it, Know-it-all," James said playfully and reached around, yanking the Ravenclaw in the shadow of the statue. "You have it with you?"

Remus nodded and pulled out the piece of parchment the four of them had been working on for the past few weeks. The castle layout turned out to be bigger and more complicated than they'd expected, so they had been mapping it out on different pieces of parchment, then copying them on what they hoped would be the final product. Remus knelt down, spreading the almost finished map of the East Wing on the ground. James and Peter followed.

"I asked around a little," the Ravenclaw started. "Sirius is being held here." He pointed to a spot on the map designated as 'Classroom 4F'. "A weeks ago we started exploring this tunnel." His finger moved to the Goblin's Corridor. "We haven't completed it, but based on the surrounding corridors and other mapped-out space, it should lead here, right to the classroom. After getting Sirius, we can easily make our way here, to this passage, and right down to—"

"The Kitchens!" Peter exclaimed, following the trail Remus was making on the map. "That's brilliant! Teachers wouldn't think to look for us there!"

"My thoughts exactly," Remus said, retracting his hand and looking at the other two in turn. "When do we start?"

James grinned widely. "Right now. You and Pete make your way through there and wait for my signal. As soon as the teacher is out, snatch Black as quietly as you can and meet me down in the kitchens. Any questions?" Remus and Peter shook their heads. The mischievous Gryffindor's grin grew slightly. "Good."

* * *

The tunnel was longer than they'd anticipated. And darker. And chock-full with spiders. Peter couldn't help but jump every time one of the eight-legged creatures fell on his head, which was often.

"They're just spiders, Pete," Remus said softly in an attempt to comfort him. "Too small to hurt you."

"Not too small to creep me out," Peter mumbled.

Remus stopped walking and turned to face him. "Here, I'll teach you a spell to keep them off you." His wand made a deliberate, sharp motion through the air, and he said, "_Arania Exumai__!_" The spider that had been crawling up Peter's sleeve was blasted away by a bright flash of white light.

"Thanks, Remus," the short boy said, beaming at the prefect.

Remus smiled back and turned forward again. "You can practice until we get there. I think we're still somewhere around the Passage of the Fouls."

They advanced through the narrow, dark passageway for a few more minutes, with Peter practicing the new spell with every spider he saw, to varying success. Then the ceiling began to lower, much to his dismay, until the two boys were crawling on all fours.

"Hey, Remus," Peter whispered. "Are you sure this will lead to the classroom Sirius is in?"

There was a short pause.

"No."

"Well, wh-what if we end up somewhere completely different? What if we fall into the Teachers' Lounge or if we end up trapped in here with a giant spider or something, or what if—"

"Quiet," Remus said suddenly, stopping dead in his tracks.

Peter did the same and strained his ears. "I don't hear anything," he whispered after a while.

"I do," Remus replied shortly. "We're close."

After a few more minutes of crawling, Remus stopped again. Peter saw him put his hand forward and heard the soft knock of knuckles against wood.

"Don't tell me it's a dead end!" the Hufflepuff groaned quietly.

Remus shushed him and pulled out his wand. There was a small whisper and the sound of the slight tap of the wand, then the Ravenclaw reached forward and stuck his nails in the edge of the barrier right where it met the wall. The wooden surface blocking the tunnel swung towards them, and Peter had to shuffle backwards slightly to make room. Remus turned around and gave him a sign to be quiet. The Hufflepuff nodded, and the two of them sat on the ground to wait for James' signal.

It wasn't long before Peter was able to pick up on sounds – the scratching of a quill, the sound of a running hourglass, and the occasional shuffle of feet.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. A wooden chair scratched the ground as someone stood up, so close Peter almost squeaked, but Remus quickly put a hand over his mouth.

James' voice rang out, also alarmingly close. "Professor, come quickly! Someone turned Sandra Wood's head into a pumpkin!"

"What are you talking about, Potter?" McGonagall asked sharply. Peter's heart sank. If she was the one in charge of Sirius, they wouldn't be able to fool her for long.

"I don't know what happened, Professor, she was just walking down the corridor one second, and the next, all her friends were screaming! You have to come, quickly!"

"Potter, you are the brightest student in my class. Are you telling me you cannot perform a simple Untransfiguration?"

Peter could practically hear his friend's brain working with full steam.

"And what if I did it wrong?!"

"Since when have you had a fear of performing?"

"If I do this wrong I might kill her!" James shouted, anger starting to seep into his voice. "This is an actual person we're talking about, not a pincushion! You're the Head of House, you have to do something before one of her friends gets the bright idea to try it and Sandra ends up irreversibly headless! We need her in one piece for the game against Hufflepuff!"

For a while, McGonagall was silent, and Peter and Remus waited with bated breath.

"Let's go then," the teacher said finally. "Don't get any ideas, Black. I expect to find you, and this room, in the exact same state when I return!"

"Yes, Professor," Sirius replied dully.

Peter and Remus waited for the door to close and for McGonagall to finish a few locking spells and walk away with James before they crawled through the rectangular wooden passage, only to come out of one of the drawers on McGonagall's desk. Sirius was staring at them from a desk in the front row, mouth open wide and quill frozen over the parchment in front of him.

"Get up," Remus said, straightening his robes. "This is a break out."

* * *

-J-

Unfortunately, Sirius was serving his detention with McGonagall. She wouldn't be easy, but James had always known she had a soft spot for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. As much as he didn't want to injure a teammate, James didn't really like Sandra anyway, and knew the Head of Gryffindor House would be more concerned for one of the players than a regular student. Besides, it was just a Melofors Jinx, it wasn't like he was causing her pain or anything. The only thing he regretted was that he couldn't enjoy the show longer.

By the time he and McGonagall made their way to the fourth floor, where he had committed the very crime he alerted her of, James had to hold back a snicker at the sight of Sandra's idiot friends trying to pull her pumpkin-shaped head off. The Transfiguration teacher dove straight through the crowd, scolding the girls, and James saw the perfect opportunity to slip away into the secret passageway behind the hunting tapestry, down the rickety steps to the second floor, then straight to the Grand Staircase and to the Hufflepuff Basement.

When he entered the Kitchen, his three friends had already gathered around one of the four long tables, stuffing their face with coconut macaroons.

"I see the escape went without a hitch," James said, smiling broadly.

"I can't believe you lot are actually this crazy!" Sirius exclaimed, but he was also grinning like an idiot. "What if you get caught?"

"Then we get caught," Remus replied with a shrug, sliding on the bench to make space for James. Peter threw him a quick, puzzled glance, but the Gryffindor only smiled broadly and clapped him on the back quickly as he sat down.

"So, I guess we can fill in that tunnel now," James said. "Seeing as we know where it leads."

Remus pulled out the map and a quill and ink pot. He then drew out the passageway, connecting it to Classroom 4F.

"What should we call it?" Sirius asked.

"The Detention Escape Route!" James replied immediately, snatching the quill from the Ravenclaw and jotting down the snazzy name.

"Must you come up with ridiculous names for every single thing we discover?" Remus asked amusedly.

"Yes!" James and Sirius replied in unison.

"When do I get to name something?" Peter piped up.

Sirius stuffed two macaroons in his mouth. "When you come up with a cool name."

"What would you have called it?" James asked, returning the quill.

Peter toyed with his black-and-yellow tie nervously. "Er... probably something like... the Spider Passage?"

James laughed. "Did you see a giant spider in there?"

"No... but we saw a whole bunch of small ones!" Peter said defensively.

"He's right, the bloody things were everywhere," Sirius mumbled with his mouth full.

"It wasn't so bad..." Remus tried to add.

"Yes, it was!" Peter exclaimed. "Remus taught me a spell to use, but it doesn't always work..."

"You just need practice," the Ravenclaw said reassuringly.

Sirius swallowed the pastries. "And there's no time like the present!" His wand whipped through the air and three of the remaining macaroons transformed into spiders. Peter shrieked and jerked backwards, tumbling to the ground and shuffling away. James snickered and Sirius rolled his eyes. "Come on, Pete, they aren't real! Practice makes perfect!"

"I never said I was perfect!" the Hufflepuff yelled and started running around while the dark-haired Slytherin was hot on his heels, laughing like a maniac and directing the spiders.

"Face your fears, you coward!"

"I think I look better from behind, thank you!"

While the two of them were busy scaring the lights out of the poor, panicking house elves and chasing each other in circles, James' laughter was interrupted by a quiet whisper from his right.

"How did you know?"

He turned around to see that Remus was staring unseeingly at the table before them.

"How did I know what?"

"That I would come."

James smirked and leaned in conspiratorially. "Because I'm secretly a great Seer."

Peter squeaked and knocked down some pots and pans in the background, creating an enormous racket. Sirius barked a laugh.

"I'm serious," Remus continued, barely above a whisper, his green eyes rising to meet his friend's.

James barely contained a snigger. "No you're not, _he_'s Sirius."

"James..."

"Though ironically, you're way more serious than Sirius. Maybe you two should swap names."

Remus' hand rose and gripped the Gryffindor's shoulder lightly. "Stop it. Just give me a straight answer."

James smirk softened into a smile. "I didn't know. I just chose to believe in you."

Remus seemed to be stunned into speechlessness, so James threw a glance at the other two and flicked his wand, enlarging one of the spiders chasing Peter to the size of a Labrador. "You can do it, Pete!" he yelled.

The Hufflepuff jerked back in panic, backing into a corner, his wand raised. "_A-__Arania Exumai__!_"

The spider flew backwards and rolled across the room like a bowling ball, mowing down a few house elves. Peter's entire face lit up. "I did it!" he shouted, raising both arms in the air victoriously. The other three boys laughed loudly, until a stern voice rang through the kitchen.

"You most certainly did."

Their heads snapped to the door, where McGonagall towered over a lone house elf, hiding behind her feet. She looked simply livid, her mouth compressed into such a line so thin it was barely visible. Never a good sign.

The four boys exchanged glances, and James was sure they were all thinking the exact same thing.

'_Crap._'


End file.
